Fantasy NBA Daily Notes: James Harden isn't slowing down

Since recently returning from injury, Embiid has averaged 29.6 PPG, 17 RPG, 3.6 APG and 3.6 combined blocks and steals. The Sixers have won all those games, three of them coming against playoff teams. "The Process" ranks 12th overall on the Player Rater and offers category-winning potential in points, rebounds and blocks in both rotisserie in head-to-head formats.

I often reserve this introductory space to discuss under-the-radar or ascendant fantasy options, such as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's recent statistical surge for the Lakers, but it's worth focusing today on the marvel that is Embiid -- a player who missed the entirety of his first two pro seasons and never topped 18 points or nine field goal attempts in a game at Kansas. Now that he's firmly entrenched as a first-round fantasy asset going forward, it's time to enjoy the process.

With an eye on important fantasy performances and significant statistical trends, let's delve into the night that was in the NBA.

Wednesday recap

Highlights

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: 37 points (8-17 FG), 22 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 TO

James Harden Houston Rockets: 57 points (18-39 FG), 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 3 TO

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder: 42 points (16-29 FG), 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 8 TO

Lowlights

Steven Adams, Oklahoma City Thunder: 4 points (2-7 FG), 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 TO

Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers: 6 points (1-10 FG), 10 rebounds, 1 TO

Derrick White, San Antonio Spurs: 3 points (1-8 FG), 2 rebounds, 4 assists

Wednesday's takeaways

• Pascal Siakam tallied 33 points in an impressive win over the Thunder on Wednesday, tied for the second-most points in a game in his career, and now has four performances of at least 30 points this season after entering it with zero such games on his résumé. If Kawhi Leonard doesn't stay in Toronto this July, Siakam could become an absolute fantasy star as early as next fall. It's possible he makes another leap even with Leonard gone, but it's likely his usage would spike to star levels in the case Leonard left.

• In the loss, Westbrook secured his fifth 40-point game this season after having four all last season. Oklahoma City is reeling a bit, however, with four straight losses. It's possible we see a first-round series between the Thunder and Warriors in April, confirming how amazingly competitive the Western field is.

• Kris Dunn tallied a season-high 26 points and delivered 13 assists in an overtime win over the Wizards. This marked Dunn's third career 20-and-10 game and his first this season. Dunn finished Wednesday with the fourth-highest fantasy score on DraftKings among point guards for the slate. Lauri Markkanen produced a strong double-double and now has five games with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds this season, the most such games by a Bulls player since Michael Jordan had 11 such performances in 1995-96. There is some real promise present with these baby Bulls.

• Jabari Parker wasn't a fit with the Bulls this season, but he tallied a season-high 28 points against Chicago in the loss Wednesday and has been relatively stellar on offense for the Wizards lately. A shift to a far more efficient shot chart that relies on lots of work around the rim signals Parker's fantasy stock is back in good standing.

• Collin Sexton netted 25 points in a win over the Bucks for Cleveland's fourth straight home win. Sexton now has seven straight 20-point games, the second-longest streak in franchise history (Ron Harper: 13 games in 1986-87). For those in need of a streaming center in deeper leagues, Ante Zizic is a sound source of rebounds and blocks given the team's newfound trust in him in the lineup.

• Harden has at least one 50-point performance in five straight months, while only Wilt Chamberlain has a longer streak in NBA history. Only Chamberlain, Jordan, and Kobe Bryant have had more than the seven 50-point games Harden has produced this season.

Injuries of note

• Otto Porter Jr. (shoulder) and Zach LaVine (knee) both missed last night's overtime victory over the Wizards and are considered day-to-day going forward.

Analytics advantage for Thursday

Even with gifted rookie center Deandre Ayton impressively averaging 10.3 rebounds this season, the Phoenix Suns rank last in the league in rebounding percentage by securing just 46.6 percent of available rebounds per game. This spells massive upside for Andre Drummond's already impressive fantasy ceiling, as the league's leading rebounder is in a prime spot to easily exceed value on DraftKings tonight given an expectation for more than six points per $1,000 spent in salary on this platform.

Top players to watch tonight

The Kings are the kings of pace this season, as the team leads the NBA in possessions per 48 minutes (104.5). Pace gets thrown around casually these days as part of this "space and pace" era the Suns and Warriors sparked. Shooting earlier in possessions and seeking to run off rebounds are key elements to the Kings' approach, one that marries well with their personnel, with guard De'Aaron Fox among the fastest players in the league playing alongside an elite shooter in Buddy Hield.

The analytics advantage for tonight is an appreciation for the Kings' up-tempo ways and how that often proves favorable for friendly fantasy outcomes. The Mavericks are in town tonight, matching Luka Doncic and his triple-double savvy with Fox's blistering speed. Doncic tallied 28 points, six boards and nine dimes in his first meeting with the Kings this season, evidence we can build around the young Slovenian star in DFS play tonight. Fox matched Doncic with 28 points and five assists in their meeting back in December.

Finding ways to build lineups around Doncic and Fox with the likes of Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Marvin Bagley III, Dwight Powell and even Jalen Brunson could prove rewarding during this somewhat uninspired (big point spreads and modest totals) six-game slate.